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MINNEAPOLIS—When U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison and former Vice President Walter Mondale spoke at the University of Minnesota on Sunday, an event timed to the 15th anniversary of the death of Minnesota political icon Paul Wellstone, the subject was how Democrats could regain their lost mojo. The party is at a crossroads, promoters of the event noted, with Republicans controlling the White House, Congress and two-thirds of governorships and state legislatures nationwide.

DULUTH — Drivers on Minnesota highways are slightly more likely to hit a deer this year than last according to an annual assessment by State Farm Insurance. The company said an estimated 1-in-74 Minnesota drivers will hit a deer or other large animal this year, up from about 1-in-80 drivers in 2016. Minnesota retained its rank as No. 7 among all 50 states in how likely drivers are to hit a deer on the road.

DULUTH — The future of golden-winged warblers in northern Minnesota forests, ringneck pheasants in farm country and sage grouse in the mountainous west are tied to the massive farm bill that's starting to wind through the Washington labyrinth, a coalition of wildlife and government agencies said Wednesday.

DULUTH—"Brady" looks like any other law enforcement officer of his rank — an eager, aggressive disposition, a long snout and wagging tail. But unlike most of his fellow K-9 officers, Brady doesn't search for illegal narcotics or bombs. The 6-year-old golden retriever mix sniffs for zebra mussels. Brady's partner, Minnesota Conservation Officer Julie Siems, was showing off Brady's skills Thursday at the Pike Lake boat landing outside Duluth. Siems hid a rock encrusted with zebra mussels in the splashwell of a fishing boat.

DULUTH, Minn. — The Mississippi River starts at Lake Itasca clear and clean, and pretty much stays that way as it winds through northern Minnesota's forests and wetlands. But by the time the river flows into the Twin Cities it's been polluted so badly that it fails federal Clean Water Act standards for aquatic life and human use. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on Wednesday, Jan. 25, released a report outlining what is fouling the water — namely runoff from farms and pollution from cities — and what can be done to solve the problem.

ST. PAUL — Gov. Mark Dayton's administration on Wednesday outlined its natural resource budget proposal for the next two years, saying it raises spending and license fees to help boost both environmental health and outdoor recreation. The plan includes increased fees for fishing, hunting and boating licenses, among others, in an effort to keep services and operations at the current level, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officials said Wednesday.

DULUTH, Minn.—The rusty patched bumblebee, a native of Minnesota and Wisconsin that was once common across the Midwest but which has declined rapidly in recent years, was officially declared endangered Tuesday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It's the first species of native bee in the continental U.S. to be placed on the endangered species list.

DULUTH, Minn. — A new study by Rochester Institute of Technology estimates that nearly 22 million pounds of plastics enter the Great Lakes every year. Scientists at the university worked to track and inventory where and how much plastic enters the lakes and where it goes then, with their results now published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin. "This study is the first picture of the true scale of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes," said Matthew Hoffman, assistant professor in RIT's School of Mathematical Sciences and an author of the report.

Fueled by the cheapest November gas prices in years, Americans are expected to travel more for Thanksgiving this year than any year since before the Great Recession. AAA last week forecasted that 48.7 million Americans will travel for the holiday, the busiest Thanksgiving period on U.S. roads and in the skies since 2007. AAA said that between Nov. 23 and 27, a full million more Americans will travel at least 50 miles from their home compared to last year's Thanksgiving holiday.

DULUTH, Minn.—Minnesota drivers are slightly more likely to hit a deer on state roadways this year compared to last year, and Wisconsin drivers face about the same odds of a deer collision. That's the report from State Farm Insurance, which complies an annual list of the states where drivers are most likely to hit a deer, moose or elk. Minnesota again placed seventh out of the 50 states, with Wisconsin sixth, South Dakota fifth and North Dakota 11th.